OAKLAND — Jesse Hahn made a triumphant return to the major leagues Saturday afternoon in the A”s 2-0 victory over the Houston Astros before 23,084 at the Coliseum.

Called up from Triple-A Nashville to start Saturday”s game, Hahn held the Astros scoreless through 62/3 innings to earn a victory in his first major league start since July 1, 2015. The right-hander allowed just three hits and two walks, striking out four before John Axford relieved him with two out in the seventh inning.

“I don”t know that we”ve seen him pitch much better than that, ” A”s manager Bob Melvin said of Hahn.

Sent down to Nashville after a rough spring, Hahn was called up to replace starter Chris Bassitt, who is facing possible season-ending surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching arm. Bassitt will fly to Cincinnati in the coming week to confirm with Dr. Timothy Kremchek whether he needs Tommy John surgery to repair the ligament.

Bassitt could be the second pitcher the A”s have lost to a torn UCL this season. Kremchek performed Tommy John surgery on Felix Doubrant earlier this month.

Hahn allowed just one fly ball through the first six innings, and none of the three batters who got on base in that span made it past first. Hahn got the following batter to either hit into a double play or an inning-ending groundout each time.

“It was just a matter of keeping the ball down and throwing with confidence,” he said.

Hahn also pitched with workmanlike efficiency. He threw just 65 pitches before the seventh inning, when he surrendered a double to Houston”s Carlos Correa and a walk to Evan Gattis.

“I was surprised he made it that far along in the game,” Melvin said. “We had him on a pretty strict pitch count. Getting him to the seventh was a tough thing to have happen, but we did it.”

Hahn went 6-6 with a 3.35 ERA in 16 starts for the A”s in 2015 before spending the final three months of the season on the disabled list with a strained right forearm. He then began the season in Nashville after a disastrous spring in which he posted a whopping 11.15 ERA and allowed opposing Cactus League batters to hit .382 against him.

Hahn apparently straightened things out at Nashville. Despite a rough last outing there, the pitcher posted a 2.04 ERA in four starts and held opposing hitters to a .246 average.

The A”s sent reliever Andrew Triggs down to Nashville to make room for Hahn.

Oakland (13-12) got the game”s only runs in the second inning when center fielder Billy Burns singled to left with the bases loaded, driving in Yonder Alonso and Josh Phegley. Those runs were enough to defeat the last-place Astros on an afternoon when the A”s mustered just five hits, none after the fourth inning.

Ryan Madson pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his eighth save. The closer did have to pitch his way out of some trouble, though – after surrendering two walks and a single to load the bases, he got Gattis to hit into a game-ending double play.

meaning his stay on the disabled list will be extended, Melvin said.

“He”s still doing some rehab stuff,” the A”s manager said.

Third baseman Danny Valencia, meanwhile, is expected back soon. The A”s cleanup hitter, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list after leaving Oakland”s April 21 game against the New York Yankees with a strained left hamstring, should be back in the lineup in next Friday”s game at Baltimore.

“Danny”s down on the field doing his thing,” Melvin said. “We expect him to be ready.”

“We”re sitting here at .500, but we don”t feel like we”ve been playing terribly well,” Melvin said. “Our offensive numbers haven”t been great, and recently shorter starts have affected our pitching numbers. But to sit here at .500 is probably not horrible.”

Melvin wouldn”t go so far as to call Alonso”s homer a slump-buster, but said it could give the first baseman”s confidence a much-needed jolt.

“It”s the type of thing that can really springboard you,” Melvin said. “The longer you go and see what your average is (on the scoreboard) … You”ve just gotta understand that it”s early in the season and stay positive.”

For his part, Alonso is focused on simplifying his swing and staying more relaxed at the plate.

“I don”t worry too much about my struggles,” Alonso said. “That”s in the past. In the present I”m just trying to clean some things up and stay as prepared as possible. If I can do that, the numbers will be there.”

OAKLAND — Jesse Hahn made a triumphant return to the major leagues Saturday afternoon in the A”s 2-0 victory over the Houston Astros before 23,084 at the Coliseum.

Called up from Triple-A Nashville to start Saturday”s game, Hahn held the Astros scoreless through 62/3 innings to earn a victory in his first major league start since July 1, 2015. The right-hander allowed just three hits and two walks, striking out four before John Axford relieved him with two out in the seventh inning.

“I don”t know that we”ve seen him pitch much better than that, ” A”s manager Bob Melvin said of Hahn.

Sent down to Nashville after a rough spring, Hahn was called up to replace starter Chris Bassitt, who is facing possible season-ending surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching arm. Bassitt will fly to Cincinnati in the coming week to confirm with Dr. Timothy Kremchek whether he needs Tommy John surgery to repair the ligament.

Bassitt could be the second pitcher the A”s have lost to a torn UCL this season. Kremchek performed Tommy John surgery on Felix Doubrant earlier this month.

Hahn allowed just one fly ball through the first six innings, and none of the three batters who got on base in that span made it past first. Hahn got the following batter to either hit into a double play or an inning-ending groundout each time.

“It was just a matter of keeping the ball down and throwing with confidence,” he said.

Hahn also pitched with workmanlike efficiency. He threw just 65 pitches before the seventh inning, when he surrendered a double to Houston”s Carlos Correa and a walk to Evan Gattis.

“I was surprised he made it that far along in the game,” Melvin said. “We had him on a pretty strict pitch count. Getting him to the seventh was a tough thing to have happen, but we did it.”

Hahn went 6-6 with a 3.35 ERA in 16 starts for the A”s in 2015 before spending the final three months of the season on the disabled list with a strained right forearm. He then began the season in Nashville after a disastrous spring in which he posted a whopping 11.15 ERA and allowed opposing Cactus League batters to hit .382 against him.

Hahn apparently straightened things out at Nashville. Despite a rough last outing there, the pitcher posted a 2.04 ERA in four starts and held opposing hitters to a .246 average.

The A”s sent reliever Andrew Triggs down to Nashville to make room for Hahn.

Oakland (13-12) got the game”s only runs in the second inning when center fielder Billy Burns singled to left with the bases loaded, driving in Yonder Alonso and Josh Phegley. Those runs were enough to defeat the last-place Astros on an afternoon when the A”s mustered just five hits, none after the fourth inning.

Ryan Madson pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his eighth save. The closer did have to pitch his way out of some trouble, though – after surrendering two walks and a single to load the bases, he got Gattis to hit into a game-ending double play.

meaning his stay on the disabled list will be extended, Melvin said.

“He”s still doing some rehab stuff,” the A”s manager said.

Third baseman Danny Valencia, meanwhile, is expected back soon. The A”s cleanup hitter, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list after leaving Oakland”s April 21 game against the New York Yankees with a strained left hamstring, should be back in the lineup in next Friday”s game at Baltimore.

“Danny”s down on the field doing his thing,” Melvin said. “We expect him to be ready.”

“We”re sitting here at .500, but we don”t feel like we”ve been playing terribly well,” Melvin said. “Our offensive numbers haven”t been great, and recently shorter starts have affected our pitching numbers. But to sit here at .500 is probably not horrible.”

Melvin wouldn”t go so far as to call Alonso”s homer a slump-buster, but said it could give the first baseman”s confidence a much-needed jolt.

“It”s the type of thing that can really springboard you,” Melvin said. “The longer you go and see what your average is (on the scoreboard) … You”ve just gotta understand that it”s early in the season and stay positive.”

For his part, Alonso is focused on simplifying his swing and staying more relaxed at the plate.

“I don”t worry too much about my struggles,” Alonso said. “That”s in the past. In the present I”m just trying to clean some things up and stay as prepared as possible. If I can do that, the numbers will be there.”

OAKLAND — Jesse Hahn made a triumphant return to the major leagues Saturday afternoon in the A”s 2-0 victory over the Houston Astros before 23,084 at the Coliseum.

Called up from Triple-A Nashville to start Saturday”s game, Hahn held the Astros scoreless through 62/3 innings to earn a victory in his first major league start since July 1, 2015. The right-hander allowed just three hits and two walks, striking out four before John Axford relieved him with two out in the seventh inning.

“I don”t know that we”ve seen him pitch much better than that, ” A”s manager Bob Melvin said of Hahn.

Sent down to Nashville after a rough spring, Hahn was called up to replace starter Chris Bassitt, who is facing possible season-ending surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching arm. Bassitt will fly to Cincinnati in the coming week to confirm with Dr. Timothy Kremchek whether he needs Tommy John surgery to repair the ligament.

Bassitt could be the second pitcher the A”s have lost to a torn UCL this season. Kremchek performed Tommy John surgery on Felix Doubrant earlier this month.

Hahn allowed just one fly ball through the first six innings, and none of the three batters who got on base in that span made it past first. Hahn got the following batter to either hit into a double play or an inning-ending groundout each time.

“It was just a matter of keeping the ball down and throwing with confidence,” he said.

Hahn also pitched with workmanlike efficiency. He threw just 65 pitches before the seventh inning, when he surrendered a double to Houston”s Carlos Correa and a walk to Evan Gattis.

“I was surprised he made it that far along in the game,” Melvin said. “We had him on a pretty strict pitch count. Getting him to the seventh was a tough thing to have happen, but we did it.”

Hahn went 6-6 with a 3.35 ERA in 16 starts for the A”s in 2015 before spending the final three months of the season on the disabled list with a strained right forearm. He then began the season in Nashville after a disastrous spring in which he posted a whopping 11.15 ERA and allowed opposing Cactus League batters to hit .382 against him.

Hahn apparently straightened things out at Nashville. Despite a rough last outing there, the pitcher posted a 2.04 ERA in four starts and held opposing hitters to a .246 average.

The A”s sent reliever Andrew Triggs down to Nashville to make room for Hahn.

Oakland (13-12) got the game”s only runs in the second inning when center fielder Billy Burns singled to left with the bases loaded, driving in Yonder Alonso and Josh Phegley. Those runs were enough to defeat the last-place Astros on an afternoon when the A”s mustered just five hits, none after the fourth inning.

Ryan Madson pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his eighth save. The closer did have to pitch his way out of some trouble, though – after surrendering two walks and a single to load the bases, he got Gattis to hit into a game-ending double play.

meaning his stay on the disabled list will be extended, Melvin said.

“He”s still doing some rehab stuff,” the A”s manager said.

Third baseman Danny Valencia, meanwhile, is expected back soon. The A”s cleanup hitter, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list after leaving Oakland”s April 21 game against the New York Yankees with a strained left hamstring, should be back in the lineup in next Friday”s game at Baltimore.

“Danny”s down on the field doing his thing,” Melvin said. “We expect him to be ready.”

“We”re sitting here at .500, but we don”t feel like we”ve been playing terribly well,” Melvin said. “Our offensive numbers haven”t been great, and recently shorter starts have affected our pitching numbers. But to sit here at .500 is probably not horrible.”

Melvin wouldn”t go so far as to call Alonso”s homer a slump-buster, but said it could give the first baseman”s confidence a much-needed jolt.

“It”s the type of thing that can really springboard you,” Melvin said. “The longer you go and see what your average is (on the scoreboard) … You”ve just gotta understand that it”s early in the season and stay positive.”

For his part, Alonso is focused on simplifying his swing and staying more relaxed at the plate.

“I don”t worry too much about my struggles,” Alonso said. “That”s in the past. In the present I”m just trying to clean some things up and stay as prepared as possible. If I can do that, the numbers will be there.”